Pulp & Press Lit Arts Fest brings world-class authors to rural Southwest Michigan

VICKSBURG, MI — The first-ever Pulp & Press Lit Arts Fest, arriving April 24–25, 2026, is built around a bold question: what happens when big-city literary energy meets a rural community? With bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt, a walkable downtown “Book Trail,” and hands-on workshops in poetry, illustration, and bookbinding, the two-day Vicksburg festival aims to make high-quality literary programming feel welcoming, accessible, and genuinely fun.

For Kimm Mayer, planning committee lead and owner-operator of Vicksburg bookstore Gilbert and Ivy, the festival was inspired by a desire to shine a spotlight on literacy. Gilbert and Ivy already center their work on story-sharing and literacy, but Mayer says the team kept coming back to what rural communities often lack: the same level of access to authors, books, and literary experiences that larger cities tend to enjoy. 

“Can we bring high-quality literary arts to a rural environment, and can we be successful with that?” Mayer asks. That question became the anchor of the festival. According to Mayer, Pulp & Press is not only about hosting a great arts event, but it’s also about trying to “move the needle” by making literary culture visible and available to those outside of urban centers.

While literary festivals are common in places like Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Grand Rapids, Mayer says rural Southwest Michigan doesn’t always have access to literary events.

About ten miles away, the Kalamazoo Poetry Festival occurs every April during National Poetry Month and also hosts year-round events, but Pulp & Press opens the door to all literary arts, including fiction, non-fiction, illustration, and poetry. Susan Kallewaard, a planning committee member, former educator in Portage Schools, and youth services librarian at Vicksburg District Library, says access to authors is less available in rural areas.

“When we look at rural areas anywhere, not just Michigan, but anywhere in the country, you just find that access to these special events and opportunities to work one-on-one with authors and writers is limited,” she says.

That need is also reflected in broader literacy trends across the state. Michigan continues to rank near the bottom nationally for reading proficiency, with only about 24% of fourth-grade students reading at a proficient level. 

Just last month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in her State of the State address that Michigan is 44th in the U.S. for fourth-grade reading proficiency, citing it as “a serious problem.” In the United States, fourth grade is when students stop learning to read in class and begin reading to learn. If they are behind in reading by 4th grade, studies show, they begin to get behind in every other subject. 

Pulp & Press is partly designed to respond to that gap by making literary experiences more accessible. This includes bringing in established authors and creating opportunities for direct interaction. Organizers hope to provide those one-on-one conversations with authors and facilitators through workshops and informal networking. 

The festival, organizers say, expands on the traditional definition of literary arts. Rather than focusing just on forms like novels or academics, it incorporates illustration, spoken word, and other creative practices. 

Mayer says that was essential from the beginning because reading and literacy do not live in only one lane. 

“We see literacy and the literary in many, many different art forms. And if you’re going to make it accessible, you have to meet people where they are,” says Mayer. “Picking up a novel is not where everybody is. Sometimes it’s a magazine. Sometimes it’s a short story. For many kids right now, it’s graphic novels.” 

The festival will honor books while also promoting visual storytelling, poetry, and interactive creative work, where attendees will be active participants in the demonstrations.

One of the programs that Mayer and Kallewaard say they are both particularly excited about is the Book Trail, a village-wide writer and vendor walk. 

Festivalgoers will move from business to business and encounter over 30 regional authors while discovering what the Village of Vicksburg has to offer. According to Mayer, each site will host several writers or organizations, giving visitors the chance to meet authors up close, get to know one another, and shop. She described the Book Trail as the original seed of the whole festival, a concept that later grew into something bigger.

The interpersonal, participatory nature of the festival is especially meaningful for young people, Kallewaard says. Drawing on her years in education, she speaks about what it means for children not just to read books, but to meet writers. 

“The opportunity to meet one on one with authors… is so inspiring for young children,” she says. “Because they don’t know that they are authors. They don’t know they can tell their stories.” For Kallewaard, the true impact of Pulp & Press lies in helping kids see authors as real people whose work revolves around imagination, discipline, and their own voices.

Shelby Van Pelt, author of “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” will open the festival on Friday, April 24, at the Vicksburg Performing Arts Center. Van Pelt’s best-selling novel has been adapted into a film starring Alfred Molina, Sally Field, and Lewis Pullman, which premieres on Netflix May 9- just two weeks after Pulp & Press. 

Mayer says the festival organizers searched for a writer with name recognition, cross-generational appeal, and work that would not feel off-limits to young people. Mayer said Van Pelt “ticked every one of these boxes,” while also being located in the Midwest.

That tension between keeping things affordable and making them sustainable comes up again and again in how organizers talk about access. Many of the Pulp & Press programs are free, but some have a low cost. One of the festival’s goals, organizers say, is not to create a cost barrier for attendees. 

“We wanted to make sure that if they’re in a situation where maybe they can’t go to the paid programming, they can still come in and have a very robust, fun day, meeting authors, seeing printing demonstrations, enjoying music, and just being a part of the festivities,” says Mayer.

Kallewaard brought up physical access, walkability, and a wide range of experience in literary interests.

“This is open for everyone, all ages,” she says. “Really geared for a family event, but specific events for children and adults.” 

Festival as a beta test

Kallewaard emphasizes that accessible programming is not only about ramps, elevators, and venue layouts, although those are important. It’s about making things feel less intimidating and creating space for people, whether they’ve been doing this for years or are just dipping their toes in. 

One highlight, Thoughts, Pictures, Words, is a youth program taught by Ruth McNally Barshaw, where participants will create and illustrate their own story. Kallewaard said the interactive format is part of what excites her most; it allows young people to own their creative process, instead of just observing. 

Pulp & Press coordinating partners include Gilbert and Ivy Booksellers, Vicksburg Arts, the Prairie Ronde Artist Residency, the Vicksburg District Library, the Vicksburg Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Village of Vicksburg, which is serving as the host and financial sponsor in the inaugural year. A Vicksburg literary institution, the Tournament of Writers, a regional writing program and competition, will precede the festival weekend. Winners will be announced just before Pulp & Press begins.

Organizers describe 2026 as something of a beta test, a chance to “get their legs” (Mayer). This does not mean the vision is small. Mayer says the long-term goal is to keep bringing world-class writers to rural southwest Michigan, while making space for people at all experience levels to engage with the literary arts from where they are. If the inaugural festival succeeds, organizers say Pulp & Press could become a lasting model, showing how a rural community can help literary culture grow.

If you would like to find out more about the Pulp & Press Lit Arts Festival, you can click here for a full rundown of festival events.